The U.S. Department of Education has announced the winners of the last part of the phase three Race to the Top funding, and after three straight dissappointments, Colorado can now log a win.

In this condolence round that ultimately offered $200 million worth of grants to seven states, Colorado has received $17.9 million that the state plans to use toward implementing the new educator evaluation systems, and to help develop assessments and teaching tools for Colorado’s 10 new state standards.

Colorado had been eligible to win $175 million in the original round two application where Colorado was made finalist, and consequently earned the eligibility for today’s $17.9 million.

Full story will be in Friday morning’s paper and posted online later tonight.

Here’s a link to Colorado’s full application. The Colorado Legacy Foundation, El Pomar Foundation, Donnell Kay Foundation, Piton Foundation and the Daniels Fund came together to help fund the application which cost Colorado $60,000(number corrected).

And here’s what some education leaders are saying about Colorado’s win… feel free to add your personal thoughts below as well;)

“Sen. Bennet has shown tremendous dedication to education reform. His continued commitment to improve education for more Colorado students is an important example for the rest of the country and I congratulate Sen. Bennet, Gov. Hickenlooper, and all Colorado leaders in securing Race to the Top round three funds to move forward on this important work.“

“During the Phase 1 interview last month in Washington, you stated that you were not willing to ‘throw teachers under the bus.’ Your support of the Johnston bill and its linkage to Race to the Top does exactly that!” Salazar writes in the April 13 letter, threatening to withhold union support of Colorado’s Race to the Top application for the second round if the state continues to advocate for Johnston’s bill.

Dwight Jones, Colorado's Commissioner of Education, speaks during a press conference on the West steps of the State Capitol on Monday, April 5, 2010. Colorado did not win funding in the first round of the federal education grant competition "Race to the Top", the U.S. Department of Education announced.

Colorado had the second-largest differential between reviewer scores among the final 16 finalists for the first round of Race to the Top money.

Colorado, of course, finished 14th in that pack with a score of 409.6 out of a 500-point scale. The final total was an average of the five reviewers’ marks, which ranged widely. Colorado had a 117-point difference between the best the review and the worst.

Louisiana had the largest point spread from 349 to 472 — a 123-point difference.

For Colorado, one reviewer gave the state’s application a total of 453 points — just one point lower than the top-scoring state of Delaware.

Another reviewer gave Colorado 336 points, which would have placed the state in 28th place behind California.

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